41 pounds of meth seized in bust

Monday’s meth bust was part of a larger operation that has so far yielded 300 pounds of methamphetamine being trafficked into Utah, the Drug Enforcement Administration said.

“We have in excess of 30 arrests which are tied to Utah,” said Frank Smith, the assistant special agent in charge at the Salt Lake City DEA.

At a Lowe’s parking lot off of 1300 South in Salt Lake City, federal agents set up a sting and arrested three as they brought in the methamphetamine, packaged in flat sheets wrapped in duct tape and sewed into the lining of a pair of briefcases.

DEA agents were looking for a fourth man, Smith said.

“The significant thing about this investigation is the people we’ve arrested,” he told FOX 13 on Monday. “Methamphetamine is free flowing across the Mexican border. But when you remove the key elements of these cartels and these cells, they’re hard to replace.”

The men arrested were being booked into local jails. They were expected to face charges by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Utah in the coming days.